LAHORE: The US Department of State has sought information from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) over surplus state land which the government plans to sell in future.

US delegates also sought information about Lahore’s building control, zoning and infrastructure in a meeting with LDA Director General (DG) Usman Moazzam on Wednesday, Dawn has learnt.

According to an official source, the five-member delegation, headed by Doryan L Winkelman (international realty specialist), and consisted of John P Brown (architectural designer), Todd Fountaine (physical security specialist), Jarad S Tietz (US Consulate, Lahore) and the real property and protocol adviser, met Mr Moazzam.

According to the source, the delegation asked these questions: Does the municipality or the state of Punjab have any surplus property that it would sell? Where are Lahore’s current and future planned centres of employment? What plans does Lahore have for public transport above and beyond bus system? Do transportation systems, natural systems/ecology play a role in this process? How have governmental and private sectors influences impacted or informed Lahore’s evolution? Are there any planned zones, infrastructure improvements, or major changes to the city planned (both short and long terms)? Can the DG office provide some historic information about how Lahore has evolved to the present and how the DG believe it will evolve in the near term (3-5 years) and long term (10-20 years) in the future?

The source said the DG with other officials briefed the US delegates on the queries.

“Whatever, I observed is that they want to purchase land in Lahore. But what is their actual plan, I don’t know,” he added.

An LDA press release stated that the DG also told the delegation members about Lahore’s master planning, plan for vertical growth, illegal housing schemes, infrastructure, projects etc.

In June 2016, the Punjab government offered 65 acres to the US Consulate to shift its offices outside the city after both sides agreed that shifting of the consulate to a place far from the city area was necessary from the security point of view. The decision was taken after the US Consulate requested the Punjab government to allocate land a away from the main city.

The LDA offered 65 acres in the proposed diplomatic enclave in the LDA City Housing Project. Besides the US, Saudi Arabia and China showed interest in establishing their consulates at the proposed diplomatic enclave.

The Chinese ambassador has also visited the area and sought space for the Chinese consulate there at that time. But, later, China established its consulate in Muslim Town, near Punjab University (Campus Underpass).

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2019